1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a box-shaped container of plastics material, particularly a storage and transport container. The container includes a bottom which has a plane upper side and an underside which is stabilized by means of stiffening ribs. Flat webs extend along the bottom edge of the container in direction of the plane of the bottom. The flat webs are supported at a distance underneath the bottom plane by means of stiffening ribs which extend transversely of the bottom edge. The flat webs form the bottom surface of the container. Pocket-like free spaces defined between the underside of the bottom, the upper sides of the flat webs and the transversely directed stiffening ribs are completely open at the side of the bottom edge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Box-shaped containers of the above-described type of plastics material are known from DE-GM 81 37 907 and DE-GM 89 03 430.
The box-like container of this type not only has the advantage that the entire bottom of the container provides a plane support surface for the goods to be stored, but also creates in the region of the flat webs or base ledges located underneath the bottom a support surface for the box-like container itself, wherein this support surface ensures a high stability of the container whether the container is loaded or unloaded.
However, this known type of box-like container has the disadvantage that it cannot be used in those situations in which it is required that the container is always in a completely hygienic condition. This is the case, for example, in the food industry where the box-shaped containers must repeatedly be subjected to cleaning procedures with washing liquids.
In the box-shaped containers of the above-described known type, undesirable residues can remain particularly within the pocket-like free spaces defined between the bottom underside, the upper side of the flat webs and the transversely directed stiffening ribs. These residues can usually not be safely removed during the cleaning procedures which are usually carried out automatically. This is true even if the cleaning liquid is injected in the form of jets into the pocket-like free spaces.